The Ecstatic Truth: The Films of Werner Herzog

Wed., Jan. 6, 13, 20 and 27, 6:30 p.m., $125, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-527-4008, brynmawrfilm.org.

by Julia West

workshop

Werner Herzog, despite his heavy German accent and morbid fascinations, is not to be feared. Many of the films he's directed — Signs of Life, Grizzly Man and Fitzcarraldo, for instance — aren't inaccessible; they just require a little thought. If those thoughts require a little guidance, enroll in Bryn Mawr Film Institute's four-week class on the man, which examines both his documentary and fiction works — and doesn't call for any prerequisites. "These classes are meant to stand alone and be accessible to anyone who has an interest," says Andrew J. Douglas, BMFI's director of education.

Wed., Jan. 6, 13, 20 and 27, 6:30 p.m., $125, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-527-4008, brynmawrfilm.org.